Photographer Erfan Dadkhah is the Edge of Humanity Magazine contributor of this documentary photography. From the project ‘Iranian Wedding’. To see Erfan’s body of work, click on any photograph.

This series is a narrative of Iranian weddings. An event that now has become one of the symbols of cultural alteration in today’s Iran.

The purpose of this series is not to offer a visual representation of the Iranian wedding context, but by moving away from the main subject – wedding event – and its heroes – groom and bride – it tries to take a look at what is happening at the margin.

In Iran, the process of marriage is sometimes very complex and with a variety of rituals. But usually, the concept of marriage is recognized by holding the wedding celebration. By holding this ceremony, the couple announce to their families that they are officially wedded.

Having a wedding ceremony, because of its heavy expenses, is not an easy task for many people, and even some couples, from the very beginning of their new life, get involved in apparently endless bank loans. However, due to the social, legal and traditional requirements, in most families the wedding celebration should take place in its utmost glory.

The pictures of this collection could be considered as a glance to the behind the scenes of Iranian weddings. This glance, however short, can help to have a more accurate understanding about the atmosphere of this cultural and social event in Iran.

In addition to the observable cultural contradictions and conflicts in the context of marriage rituals in Iran, there are also complex and diverse cultural, legal and religious restrictions that are involved in this ritual. In this series, by taking a look at the less seen layers of the Iranian wedding, we tried to find a new understanding about this cultural and social transformation; specially among those who have been born after the 1979 revolution, matured and now are in the age of marriage. The final product is, perhaps, a complex and undiscovered and multi-face style that Iranians chose for their life.